Little Wolves Montessori Kindergarten

Little Wolves Montessori Kindergarten Village Hall, Litton Lane, Hinton Blewett, Temple Cloud, Bristol, BS39 5AY

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Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23 May 2018 22 June 2015

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This inspection: Good 2

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2

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This inspection: Good 2

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2

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This provision is good

 All children make very good progress, relative to their starting points. Support for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent. Strong relationships with parents and other professionals result in precise, targeted learning plans that staff implement very well.  The provider's self-evaluations are effective and help her to identify the positive impact of improvements in maintaining good-quality outcomes for children. For example, introducing regular cookery activities has improved children's knowledge of weight and measurement, and their ability to listen to and follow a sequence of instructions.  Staff are very good role models. They listen to children well and encourage them to express their feelings and emotions appropriately. Children have good self-esteem and show that they feel emotionally secure. For example, they talk about their best friends and are affectionate towards each other and staff.

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It is not yet outstanding because:

 Children have some opportunities to learn to use technology for different purposes, such as using walkie-talkies and programmable toys. However, these provide little challenge to help older children develop their skills.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

 provide more challenge for older children as they learn to use technology for different purposes.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed staff and children engaged in learning activities, indoors and outside.  The inspector talked to the provider about the effectiveness of her self-evaluation in identifying priorities for improvement.  The inspector sampled required documents and records, including safeguarding procedures.  The inspector talked to the provider, staff and children.  The inspector looked at children's learning records and the provider's systems for monitoring children's progress.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is good

The provider supports staff very well and encourages them to develop their skills to continue to improve learning opportunities for children, for example, developing their knowledge of how to use the natural environment more effectively to extend learning across all areas of the curriculum. For instance, children make bark rubbings in nearby woodlands and develop the control they will need later for writing. They use their knowledge of shape and size while working together to build a den from fallen branches. Safeguarding is effective. The provider and staff have a good knowledge of local safeguarding procedures. They know what to do if they have concerns, to help protect children from harm.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

The provider and staff use their good observations and assessments very well to plan activities that effectively engage and challenge children. They use their very good knowledge of the Montessori method of teaching to promote children's learning. For example, children use the spindle box to relate numerals to the number of objects, and staff use this to help them calculate 'one more' and 'one less'. Staff organise resources that help children learn to manipulate small objects in order of difficulty. This allows children to decide when they are ready to move on as they develop their fine-motor skills. Staff use unexpected opportunities to extend children's learning very well. For example, children found a nest with baby birds in the hedge. Staff talked to them about being quiet when near it, so they would not scare away the 'mummy bird'. They took a photograph so children could find out more about the birds when they went back indoors.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Children learn very well about their own community and the wider world. For example, they know about life for some children in Africa as the setting has links with an African setting. They exchange photographs and children enjoy learning about and experiencing African food and music. Children visit local farms, woods and parks. They particularly enjoy their weekly visits to the library to choose the books that interest them. They develop a love of books and enjoy reading these together and with staff. Children enjoy being active and are well coordinated as they climb, balance, jump and hop.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children learn good skills that prepare them well for the next stage in their learning, including going to school. For example, daily circle times help children to learn to sit quietly and listen to each other. They do not interrupt but they are eager to have their turn and they confidently share their news. Children use their good knowledge of letters and the sounds they represent to identify correctly the days of the week and months of the year.

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Setting details

Unique reference number 133051 Local authority Bath & NE Somerset Inspection number 1089456 Type of provision Sessional provision Day care type Childcare - Non-Domestic Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 2 - 4 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 4 Name of registered person Carmen Hayley Lyons

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 22 June 2015 Telephone number 01761 451460 or 01761 241416

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reference number

Little Wolves Montessori Kindergarten registered in 1996. It is a privately owned nursery and operates from the village hall in Hinton Blewett, Somerset. The nursery follows a Montessori-based approach to education. The nursery is in receipt of funding to provide nursery education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. The provision is open on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9.30am until 2.30pm, during term time. The provider, who is also the manager, has a level 4 early years qualification. She employs two members of staff, one of whom has qualified teacher status and the other has a level 3 early years qualification.

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reference number

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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reference number

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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reference number

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reference number

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reference number

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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